


Assistant

by orphan_account



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bruce isn't the Hulk, Instead he's Tony's assistant, M/M, Science Boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 10:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4561701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Pepper becomes CEO, Tony needs a new assistant. Thankfully, Pepper has already found him one. AU where Bruce doesn't turn into the hulk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Assistant

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by an AU prompt compilation post on Tumblr.

"Tony?" Pepper calls out after opening the lab door.

"Pepper! Hey, I need-"

"A new assistant? I just found you one," Pepper says, interrupting Tony.

"I was going to say I need you to hand me that screwdriver over there," Tony says, pointing, "But I need that too."

Pepper rolls her eyes, standing next to Tony working on Suit Number Who-Even-Knows.

"He's upstairs," she says.

Tony looks up at her. "He?"

"Yes. He. Not the typical hot supermodel type girl that you love, but he's cute," she says with a shrug.

Tony sighs as he slowly gets up. Pepper smiles, turns around, and leads him upstairs.

When the reach the top of the stairs, Tony spots the new assistant sitting on the couch. Pepper was right; he _is_ cute. The man appears to be a few years younger than Tony, and has curls that Tony would really love to run his fingers through.

The man stands up from the couch and introduces himself. "Uh, hello, I'm Bruce."

"Bruce. Hey," Tony says, moving so he's standing in front of him, "let's start off with this: why do you want to work for me?"

Bruce shifts a bit and says, "Uh, well, I'm interested in the type of work you do, and it would really be an honor to help you with your work, sir."

"You don't have to call me sir," Tony tells him, keeping _though you can call me that in bed_ to himself.

Tony grins and continues, "Great reasons. It'll help keep my ego afloat."

He turns back around and heads back toward the lab. He beckons Bruce to follow him and sees Pepper smile and leave the living room.

Once they get downstairs, Tony tells Bruce, "We'll get a proper desk for you later; you can use mine right now. Jarvis, will you get him all set up?"

"Will do," the robotic voice says.

"Great. I'm going to work on this," Tony says, nodding his head to the half-finished suit, "while you do whatever you need to do. Alright?"

"Alright," Bruce says.

And Tony goes to work.

* * *

Tony is nearly done testing different sources of power for the hand blasters, when he feels a nudge on his shoulder.

"Wh-," he starts, when he turns to see that it's the new assistant. Bruce.

"Hey," Bruce says, with a small smile, "I would like to let you keep working, but it's nearly 8 p.m. and it's one of my duties to keep you fed."

Bruce raises his hand to show Tony the bag of Chinese takeout. How Bruce managed to get exactly what Tony's been craving the past week is beyond him. Bruce sets the bag on a nearby table and hands Tony a container full of sesame chicken, a package of egg rolls, and chopsticks.

Bruce sits on a stool and the two begin to eat. It's a while before Tony speaks up.

"How'd you know what to get?"

"Jarvis," Bruce says after finishing his bite.

"Hm."

"What are you working on?" Bruce asks.

"I'm trying out some new stuff," Tony explains, "I want to make the blasters stronger, but use less energy."

Bruce nods. "I see."

They finish their meals in silence.

* * *

Bruce has been Tony's assistant for a little over a week now. Although Pepper was an amazing assistant, Tony has got to say, Bruce is pretty stellar himself.

Currently, Bruce is out, fetching Tony coffee.

Tony is grabbing a scrap piece of metal from across the room, when he sees that Bruce's desk is covered in papers. Curious, he steps by the desk and grabs the first thing he sees.

The paper turns out to be notes – notes filled chemical reactions that produce the greatest energy recorded, with side notes on if it would be efficient or not. Tony grabs the page that was below the first one and sees that it's a diagram of what appears to be a self-charging reactor.

Tony sits down at Bruce's desk and files through the papers. The work is absolutely, _absolutely_ brilliant and Tony can't believe it.

It's only a few minutes before the door opens and he hears Bruce go, "Mr. Stark, uh, those-"

Tony interrupts him, saying, "Why did you never show me any of these?"

"W-Well, I didn't really think they'd be... useful, I guess."

Tony looks up and sees Bruce, coffee cup in each hand, taken aback. "They're amazing. Ingenious. Show me more."

Bruce pulls up another chair to the desk and hands Tony his coffee. Tony sips as Bruce shuffles through more papers and explains more and more exceptional concepts that Tony would have never thought of.

The coffee is long finished when they go through everything. Tony leans back in the chair.

"Cute _and_ intelligent. How much better can you get?" Tony asks.

Tony wants to treasure the blush Bruce gets forever.

* * *

Bruce continues to help Tony out with various projects, Iron Man related or not.

Bruce has been Tony's assistant for nearly a month, when one night, after a promotional gala, Tony asks Bruce to come over to his place for a drink.

And Bruce accepts. Tony hands Bruce a glass with amber-colored liquid, and Bruce sips.

Tony and Bruce sit next to each other on the living room couch and Tony asks, "How come you're working here, for me, as an _assistant_ , when you could be, I don't know, saving the world?"

Bruce sighs, "You inviting me for a drink was so you could question me, huh?"

Tony thinks for a second that he's made Bruce mad, but he sees Bruce roll his eyes, so he thinks he's okay.

"There was- A few years ago, there was a…" Bruce says, "An incident. Yeah. While I was working on my doctorate at university. I was kicked out of the program and it kind of ruined my desire to research."

"You _know_ I'm going to ask you explain what the ‘incident' was."

"Do I really have to?" Bruce asks.

Tony looks at him and says, "Yes. As your boss, I'm making you tell me."

"Fine, fine," Bruce says with a mock tone of exasperation, "I... I may have been unable to manage my anger at the Dean for stealing my work and punched him in the face. A lot."

"Holy shit," Tony says, shocked, "You? Really? You look like a puppy."

"I don't look like a puppy!"

Tony rolls his eyes. "You kinda do."

Tony sips the last of his drink and puts the empty glass on the coffee table. He asks, "Have you always had anger issues?"

Bruce shifts a bit. "I've had anger issues since I was little, and I've been getting better, and I haven't had an episode in 3 months, but…"

"You still get nervous?"

Bruce nods.

"What did you do afterwards?" Tony asks.

"I just went around the world, mostly," Bruce explains, "Spent a decent amount of time in Calcutta. I just wanted to forget that anything had happened. Eventually, I decided that, well, I should probably come back to the States. And I saw this amazing opportunity to come work for you and I just couldn't say no."

Tony grins and says, "I'm really glad you decided to work for me."

Bruce turns a bit and looks right at Tony. "I'm really glad, too."

Tony is quick to lean in and kiss Bruce, and Bruce is quick to kiss back. He tastes like whiskey and something faintly sweet. Tony lifts his hand to curl into the hair at the nape of Bruce's neck, playing with the ends.

Bruce is soon pushing back, and muttering, "Shit. Wait."

Worrying that something is wrong, Tony leans back and lets go. "Did I-"

"No, no, I just," Bruce says, face reddening, "I'm going to spill this glass all over you. If you keep doing the thing. With the hair."

Tony chuckles as Bruce leans over to set down the glass.

"Can I go back to kissing you now?" Tony asks.

"Yes. Yeah," Bruce says.

Tony moves so he's straddling Bruce instead. Bruce looks up, face close to Tony's.

"Hi," Tony says.

"Hey," Bruce says.

Tony then leans down and presses his lips to Bruce's once again. He moves his lips softly against Bruce's; Tony still can't believe that he's finally getting to make out with his cute assistant.

Bruce settles his hands to hold onto Tony's hips while Tony's hands find a way back up to Bruce's hair. Bruce lets out a moan when Tony twirls his fingers, and honestly that may be the hottest thing Tony's heard in quite a while.

Tony catches his breath, then leans back in, but this time to kiss on Bruce's neck. Bruce leans his head back to give Tony better access and spreads his palm against Tony's stomach.

"You ever expect to be making out with a genius billionaire playboy?" Tony murmurs.

Bruce lets out a shaky laugh and says, "Never."

Tony gives a quick kiss, then leans back, hands on Bruce's shoulders.

"It's getting kind of late," he says, "Come to bed with me?"

"I'd love to," Bruce says, smiling.

* * *

It's around a year after Bruce started to work for Tony.

"Did we secure the meeting with Anderson?" Tony asks, buttoning up his shirt.

"Yes – it's at 3pm, on the ninth, this Saturday," Bruce replies.

"And the presentation this afternoon?"

"Everything is right on schedule. It'll go perfectly."

"And this evening?"

Bruce grins. "A reservation for two at the finest restaurant in Malibu, also known as your bedroom with a pizza all the way from New York."

Tony puts on his tie and says, "You are truly the most amazing boyfriend-slash-assistant I could have ever asked for."

Bruce adjusts Tony's tie so that it's perfectly straight.

"Of course I am," he says, kissing Tony.


End file.
